


Family Recipe

by OrangeRaven989



Series: Annette Rarepair Week 2021 [4]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Annette Rarepair Week (Fire Emblem), Annette Rarepair Week 2021, Annette is an oblivious disaster, Awkward Flirting, Bad Flirting, Coffee, Coffee Shops, Dessert & Sweets, F/F, Flirting, Getting Together, Pre-Relationship, Rare Pairings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-15 01:41:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29181189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrangeRaven989/pseuds/OrangeRaven989
Summary: Constance is the owner-slash-barista at Cafe Nouvelle, where her specialty is rainbow-colored coffee. Also, she is *thirsty* for a cup of Annette Fantine Dominic, but of course Annette is far too oblivious to realize.Annette Rarepair Week 2021, Day 4: Secret/Sweets/Coffee Shop AU
Relationships: Annette Fantine Dominic/Constance von Nuvelle
Series: Annette Rarepair Week 2021 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2136132
Comments: 6
Kudos: 10





	Family Recipe

**Author's Note:**

> Where are my Annette/Constance fans at? Just me? OK. I'll just have to win you over then.
> 
> Seriously, this one was so much fun to write, and I managed to hit all 3 prompts in one! I love this pairing and really hope it gets a little more traction. One can dream :P
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

There was just something about Café Nuvelle that felt different than every other coffee shop in town. The sweets, while fantastic, weren’t anything unique—and as a connoisseur of sweets, Annette would know. The atmosphere felt much like most coffee shops; aromatic and relaxing, the low hum of conversation as white noise while she worked on some project on her laptop. The signature rainbow coffee was certainly distinctive—couldn’t get that anywhere else—but while tasty enough as a gimmick it wasn’t something she’d order regularly.

No, what set Café Nuvelle apart was something else entirely. And that something was a plucky shopkeeper-slash-barista with the most fascinating blonde-and-purple hair Annette had ever seen, who seemed to take an absurd level of pride in every single cup of coffee she brewed. There was something to that, honestly. Annette could relate, given that she put her all into everything she ever did and certainly didn’t hide her excitement about it.

And then, of course, there was the fact that said shopkeeper-slash-barista was absolutely gorgeous. Like, a hard ten. And she knew it, too, play-flirting with just about every customer and guaranteeing that there’d be something left in the tip jar afterward. She play-flirted with Annette as well, leaving her flushed and flustered and scurrying off to a corner to set up her laptop and work, all the while peeking over the top every chance she got.

One time she made the mistake of bringing Hilda along, and the two of them had the most competitive play-flirting session she’d ever seen. Then she finally sat down next to Annette, cooing, “I can see why she’s got you so worked up.”

That was the last time she brought Hilda.

But she didn’t know what to do about it. She was hopelessly infatuated. And on a normal day she’d be a total extrovert, more than happy to shoot the breeze with any barista who made her coffee as long as there wasn’t a line behind her. She’d even be the one to initiate the conversation. No, Annette was nothing if not sociable. But as soon as there was sexual tension involved, she clammed up like the clammiest clam that ever clammed.

Worst part was, the sexual tension wasn’t even real. If play-flirting could get her this hot and bothered, she couldn’t imagine what actually dating the woman would be like. So she sat in her corner, drinking her coffee and munching on what was definitely _not_ her third bear claw, furiously typing away at her laptop as she worked on a particularly steamy scene in her coffee shop romance novel. No, it was _absolutely not_ in any way related to her current situation, why would you even ask that.

The problem was that once her coffee and bear claw were gone, she’d need to go back up to the counter and get something else in order to justify staying at her table. And she really couldn’t get another bear claw. Well, she _could_ , but, like, she shouldn’t. Maybe a cup of rainbow coffee. The Nuvelle signature drink. The one a particular shopkeeper-slash-barista looked so stupidly proud of whenever she made it. Which, to be fair, was totally warranted. Annette had no idea how it was even possible to brew rainbow coffee, but the woman did it like it was magic.

Of course, she could just go back home and write. Hell, the sounds of Hilda and Marianne doing it through the bedroom wall might even _help_ her write her smut. But no. She needed to stay at the café. For reasons. So she took the last sip of her coffee and wiped the crumbs off her face and wandered up to the counter, timidly, already blushing before the barista—Constance, according to her nametag—had even noticed her.

“Ah,” she said, making eye contact and smiling. “Back for more, I see.” Her eyes glimmered and she wore a smile that was equal parts seductive and just plain friendly. “What can I get for you this time, my dear?”

Annette mumbled the words so low even she could barely hear them.

“Hmm?”

Annette chewed her lip and steeled herself. “One rainbow coffee, please.”

“Oho, feeling adventurous, are we?” Constance boomed, and Annette swore the entire shop could hear her. “The rainbow coffee is the specialty of the Nuvelle family, you know.” She leaned in, over the countertop, and Annette felt her internal temperature rise a couple hundred degrees. “It’s made with magic.”

Annette grinned stupidly despite herself. “I’d love to know how to make it,” she said. “It looks so pretty.”

Constance winked. “Well, my dear, I’m afraid that’s a family secret.” Then she turned her head slightly and side-eyed Annette. “Although, I can think of a way to make it work.”

Annette’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Of course, you’d have to marry into the Nuvelle family!”

She swore there was steam coming out of her ears, her face was so hot. The entire shop could hear their conversation. This was a nightmare. “O-oh.”

“Oh, come now,” Constance replied, feigning offense. “Am I not your type? I daresay I wouldn’t mind marrying someone as adorable as you, my dear.”

Somehow she ended up back at her table, waiting for her name to be called. Normally it took excessive amounts of alcohol to make her black out, but… somehow that did it. She couldn’t remember what she’d said in response, if anything, or if she just stood there blankly. She remembered Constance laughing her laugh, though.

God.

Damn.

Was _any_ of it genuine? Given that Hilda of all people was her roommate she should certainly be expected to be able to tell the difference between play flirting and real flirting, but as someone who was usually never on the receiving end of real flirting she was never quite sure. So she popped out her phone and sent Hilda an urgent text explaining what had just happened. Then came the excruciating wait for a response. Eventually the phone buzzed.

“LOL,” it said.

That was it. Just _LOL_.

Then came a follow-up. A winky-face emoji.

“WHAT DOES THAT MEAN??????” Annette furiously typed.

Dots popped up on the screen, then disappeared, then reappeared. Then came the response. “Means that girl is THIRSTY for a cup of Annette Fantine Dominic.”

“But, like, how do I know she doesn’t say that to everyone?” Annette typed back.

She could almost hear the snort on the other end.

“Just trust me,” came the reply. “Go get her.”

Annette stared at the words on the screen, unable to even blink. What. Like, if Hilda thought… then, that meant it was probably real, right? She would know. They had a flirt-off and everything. Hilda knew what play-flirting was like. So.

Heck.

Her ears perked when Constance sang out her name, and for the briefest moment she had no idea why. Then she remembered her coffee was ready, so she sheepishly rose to her feet and scurried over. Constance smiled bright.

“That is one rainbow coffee,” she said, beaming. “Tastes like magic!” She handed the steaming cup over, and Annette took it with both hands. Then she leaned in and lowered her voice, expression turning sincere. “My apologies if I made you uncomfortable earlier.” She cleared her throat. “I, um, tend to get carried away with the theatrics when I get nervous.”

Annette scrunched up her face. “Nervous?”

It was Constance’s turn to blush. “Yes, well… I must say I’ve begun to look forward to your visits to the café,” she said. “I… meant it when I said you were adorable.”

Squeaking, Annette nearly dropped her coffee but managed to hold on. “You… what?”

Constance chuckled, though it seemed to be a much less confident chuckle than her usual booming laugh. “Perhaps marriage is too much too soon,” she said, waving her hand as if to imply that everything she ever said in her life was just a joke. “If you really want to learn the secret of Café Nuvelle’s rainbow coffee, maybe… that can be arranged.” She winked again, her confidence returning if only a little, then gestured toward the cup.

Annette glanced down, seeing her name written in very pretty handwriting. Just underneath, however, was what looked very much like a phone number. Her eyes widened, then snapped back up to meet Constance’s gaze. The barista was smiling.

“A… date?”

“Anything but coffee,” Constance replied. “Lord knows I get enough of that here.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Find me on Twitter: [OrangeRaven989](https://twitter.com/OrangeRaven989)


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